The Sculptures of India
First Online: January 15, 2001
Page Last Updated : February 17, 2024
Introduction
India is truly a treasure house of sculptural art. Spread throughout its length and breadth are memorials for the brave (topics - pictures), carved cave temples (pictures), stunningly intricate designs (pictures), and other sculptural artifacts. For the uninitiated, they might look similar, but a careful study provides deep insight into India's glorious past, her mysterious civilization, and importantly, her lost history.
Stone craft in India has been in existence for a very long time. From the time of the polished sandstone lion edict of Sarnath to the present time, this craft of stone has traveled a long distance. In its course it flowered, transformed and gave expression to many styles known today as the Maurya, the Gandhara, the Gupta, the Chalukya, the Chola, the Vijayanagar, the Orissa, the Hoysala, the Mogul, the Indo-Muslim art of the Deccan and the like. The rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora and of Udayagiri; the Chalukyan temple of Virupaksha, of Pattadakal, the great Chola temple of the Nayakas at Madurai, the Indo-Aryan temples at Bhuvaneshwar, Puri and Konark, the Sun temple of Modhera, Gujarat and the Chandela temples of Khajuraho: these ageless edifices present an endless variety of exquisite stone carvings. Today, the stone artisans draw much of their inspiration from these monuments and statues. The glamorous delight of the Taj Mahal in Agra has captured the marble craft of India. Most of the statues in the state of Orissa show similarity in form and details to the sculptures of the Jagannath temple at Puri. Traditional motifs such as standing Deepalakshmis, courting apsaras (temptresses,) lotus blossoms are all adopted as decorative stands for table lamps, ash-trays, or stone flower vases.
Kamat's Potpourri is perhaps the largest single source you will find on the sculptures of India. Kamat has photographed and studied them since his teenage years and amassed an unbelievable collection on the topic. Several doctorates have been earned based on his archives and we are happy to bring this large collection to the researchers worldwide. --Ed.
Table of Contents
| Seductresses
in Stone The intricately carved Hoysala sculptures of Belur, Halebidu, and Somanathapura. |
Beauty
of Khajuraho Temples The Chandela temples in Central India are famous for their erotica. They are also beautiful. |
| Remembering
the Heroes Sculpted memorials were erected for brave soldiers and volunteers in India; they are an invaluable resource for historians. |
Sculptures
of Bhatkal Medieval social life comes alive in this Mud-Bhatal temple in Karnataka. |
| Hoysala Temples of Belur Kamat writes that the temples of Belur exhibit a joyous exuberance of fancy, scorning mechanical refrain. "All that is wild in human faith or warm in feelings is found portrayed in these temples". |
List of Pictures
- Amaravati Sculpture
- Amorous Couple, Wooden Sculpture
- Ancient Indian Sculpture Shows Mating Snake Couple
- Ancient Sculpture shows Milk Products being Transported
- Blue-print of Sculptures on Palm-leaf
- Brassiere from a Medieval Sculpture
- Carved Sculpture, Banavasi
- Chalukyan Sculpture
- Chariot Sculpture
- Chola Period Sculpture
- Copulating Couple -- Wooden Sculpture
- Dancing Ganapati, Belur Sculpture
- Depiction of Holi Festival in a Medieval Sculpture
- Detail of Gullekayajji Sculpture
- Drinking Couple -- Sculpture from a Stupa in Sanchi
- Ephemeral Dirt Sculpture Erected by a Beggar
- Erotic Sculptures on the Chandela Temples
- Erotic Sculptures on the Pattadakal Chariot
- A Female Dancer from a Temple Sculpture in Belur, Hoysala Period
- Ganesh in a Modern Metallic Sculpture
- A Group Sex Scene Depicted in Ancient Sculpture
- Hanuman Meets Rawana, Bhatkal Temple Sculpture
- Hindu Deity from an Eleventh Century Sculpture
- A housewife receives a towel after her bath -- Bhatkal sculpture
- A Hoysala style stone sculpture
- An Incomplete Sculpture of Hanuman
- Intricately Carved Jain Sculpture
- Intricately Carved Sculpture of a Dancer, Belur
- Kissing Couple, A Sculpture from Banavasi
- Kissing Couple: Stone Sculpture
- Lajja Gowri Sculpture, Alampuram
- Letterings Below a Hoysala Sculpture
- Lion Logo from a Sculpture
- Lovers, sculpture from a Khajuraho temple
- A Mahasati Sculpture
- Man disturbs wife while she puts on make up
- Man in Heat -- Sculpture from Medieval India
- Medieval Sculpture Depicting Group Sex
- Monkey. Hero. God -- Sculpture of Hanuman
- A Pattadkal sculpture
- Pavilions and Sculptures of Mahabalipuram
- Rare Sculpture of Lajja Gouri
- A Rishi (sage) of Halebidu -- Hoysala sculpture
- Sculpture of King Krishnadevaraya (?)
- Sculpture of a Devi (Goddess)
- Sculpture from Ballegavi
- Sculpture of Sitting Lord Shiva
- Sculpture of Vishnu
- A Sculpture of Tilka Majhi
- Sculpture of Vishnu, Halebidu
- Sculpture of Buddha, Nalanda
- Sculpture of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi
- A Sculpture of Ikkeri Nayaka Period
- A Sculpture from Banavasi
- Sculpture at the Kolaramma Temple
- Sculpture of Ganapati, Khajuraho
- Sculpture of Standing Vishnu
- Sculpture of Madhya Pradesh
- Sculpture of Elephant in Rut
- Sculpture of Vishnu
- Sculpture of Standing Vishnu
- Sculpture of Lajja Gowri
- Sculpture of Dancers
- A Sculpture of Hayavadana
- Sculpture of Buddha
- A Sculpture of Lord Shiva
- Sculpture of Standing Vishnu
- Sculpture from a Temple of Shiva
- Sculpture of a female worshiper
- Sculpture of a Jain Ascetic
- Sculptures of Jain Saints
- Sculptures of Sanchi
- Sculptures of Cheluvanarayana Temple
- Sculptures from Bhatkal Temple
- Self Immolation depicted in a Stone Sculpture
- Self-Immolation Depicted in a Stone Sculpture
- Shiva Killing an Asura, Badami Sculpture
- Snake charmer, sculpture from Bhatkal temple
- Snake charmer from a medieval sculpture
- Social Themes Depicted in the Sculptures of Sanchi
- A Spectacular Mixed Metal Sculpture of Ardhanarishwara
- A Stone Sculpture of Lajja Gowri
- A Temple Sculpture Depicts Two Saints Accosting a Courtesan
- Temple Sculpture from Mahabalipuram
- Terracotta Sculptures of West Bengal
- Woman with Bow - Stone Sculpture
- Kamat PictureSearch Results for "Sculpture" -- See hundreds of sculptures without large downloads.
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